5-B unused Yolanda fund to be realigned for Marawi rehab

COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 07 October) A national government fund intended for the rehabilitation of areas affected by the November 2013 super typhoon “Yolanda” will be diverted for rehabilitation of Marawi, Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao told a press conference Friday.

Hataman said the the amount will be used for transitional shelter for Marawi residents displaced by the war “and other infrastructure prospects” with the help of the ARMM’s Public Works and Highways department.

Marawi residents displaced by the war and presently staying in tents in Barangay Bito Buadi Itowa hope they can also transfer to a transitional shelter soon. A frew meters away, Balay Pag-asa, a cluster of 50 nipa huts, was inaugurated on Monday with President Rodirgo Duterte attending. MindaNews photo by FERDINANDH B. CABRERA

Defense Undersecretary Delfin Lorenza on September 28 told a media seminar on disaster risk reduction and management in Subic, Zambales that the rehabilitation of Marawi City will be partly funded by the money allocated for Yolanda rehabilitation efforts.

Lorenzana, chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and concurrent chair of the Task Force Bangon Marawi, an interaengcy body mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte to take charge of the rehabilitation work in Marawi City, said it will take at least three years, depending on the availability of funds. “Kung magtuloy-tuloy…at kung may pera tayo at resources. Kung matigil tayo, eh ‘di matatagalan” (GMA News Online quoted him as saying.

Hataman also announced the plan of San Miguel Corporation to construct 1,000 subdivision-type temporary shelters and the PAG-IBIG housing project loan for Mindanao State University and government employees of the city.

The Marawi Crisis entered Day 138 on Saturday.

ARMM has spent around 110 million pesos from this year’s calamity fund, frontlining the ARMM-HEART (Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team), the humanitarian wing of the region which immediately responded to the needs of residents displaced by the war. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)